In the News - February 2008
Dead, dying livestock part of unseen tornado damage
Agents advise producers to document dead animals, cleanup efforts
MORRILTON, Ark. - Livestock owners need to document their tornado losses and
cleanup expenses in case funds become available to help them dispose of
thousands of dead animals, Tommy Thompson, Conway County agent with the
University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service, said Thursday.
Thompson said a tornado Tuesday cleared a swath of from one-half to a mile
wide 15.6 miles through the county, affecting about 10,000 acres.
"In this county, we've talked to two different veterinarians," he said. "They're guessing 200 to 300 head of cattle will have to be destroyed, 50 to 100
horses are going to have to be destroyed and 75,000 to 100,000 chickens are
going to have to be destroyed.
"If producers have to destroy animals, the first thing they have to do is get
someone to verify that there's a loss," he said. "Unless a
veterinarian can document there was a loss, producers aren't going to be able to
draw any funds to help with disposal."
If producers already have dead animals from the tornado, they should document
the loss with photos, the county agent said.
Thompson said producers need to keep a record of everything related to a
cleanup or loss. The record should include information, for example: "25
hours, 10 people helping on 2 miles of fence. Use by tractor -10 hours cleaning
debris."
Thompson said the damage from Tuesday's tornado was still having an
effect - thousands of head of livestock were severely injured by the storm. The
animal toll also included pets. Thompson said one poultry grower's poultry house
was "thrown up against a mountain, leaving a mound of chickens. The 25-degree
temperatures Wednesday night probably finished them off.
"Most people don't realize all the destruction," he said.
In Izard County, Extension Agent Carroll Prewett has been busy helping
producers round up cattle and try to figure out how to get them fed.
Prewett said livestock producer Steve Wortham is hoarse and getting sick from
working around the clock since the tornado.
"He has a large stocker operation with 1,300 head of steers," Prewett said.
"Wednesday, he had 500 steers crossing a hill in spitting snow, and we were
trying to round them up to keep them from getting onto Highway 69. They were
scared and mad. Neighbors also came to help. The tornado destroyed the fences on
both sides of the road where he had cattle. We were trying to gather them up and
take them to a neighbor's place for safekeeping."
Prewett said the tornado destroyed Wortham's house, barn, corrals and most of
his equipment.
"It's difficult to get an accurate count of how many cattle he lost. Some
steers have wondered away. Some of the animals have severe injuries and will
have to be destroyed.
"In a situation like that, a producer's economic loss doesn't just come from
dead animals," Prewett said. "This producer can lose $20,000 or $25,000 over the
next few days just from loss of feed conversion. The cattle are so stressed
right now their rate of weight gain will go down. There's a lot of economic loss
that isn't visible."
Unfortunately, he said, most farmers in the county aren't insured because
they think a disaster will never happen to them and/or insurance is expensive.
Most farmers, he said, will insure their home and have some insurance on barns.
Prewett said a considerable amount of valuable timber was also destroyed.
"In a large part of Izard County, trees were felled 15 feet above the ground,
meaning they'll have little market value," the agent said.
Prewett said one farmer found a lot of trash in his field, including a
newspaper that blew all the way from Clinton to Melbourne, a distance of at
least 45 miles.
The Cooperative Extension Service is part of the U of A Division of
Agriculture.
February 8, 2008
Media Contact: Lamar James
Extension Communications Specialists
U of A Division of Agriculture
Cooperative Extension Service
(501) 671-2187 or (501) 753-0207
ljames@uaex.edu
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